Match case or holder.



No. 725,791. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

v F. J. STONE.

MATCH CASE 0R HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1902.

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFIE.

FRANKJISTONE, or SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MATCH CASE OR HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,791, dated April 21, 1903.

Application filed November 24, 1902. Serial No. 132,526- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK J. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Match Cases or Holders, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a match case or holder of that class from which the matches may be individually withdrawn and ignited by the act of withdrawing them.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient case or holder for the purpose specified.

In accordance with this invention the case or holder is formed from a strip, preferably of paper or like flexible material, which is folded at one end and pasted or otherwise affixed to the back or body portion of the case or holder to form a pocket for the reception of the headed end of the matches. The pocket referred to is provided on one or both of its walls with an ignitingsurface, which may be of any suitable charactersuch as emerydust, sandpaper, or other substance suitable for this purpose-and with which the heads of the matches are adapted to make contact when the matches are withdrawn. The strip from which the case or holder is formed may be provided at its opposite end. with a longer fold, which forms a cover for the matches. The shorter or pocket-forming fold may and preferably will be slitted, as will be described. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a match case or holder embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the match case or holder shown in Fig. 1 looking toward the right; Fig. 3,an elevation of the holder or case shown in Fig. 1 with the cover-flap turned back, and Fig. 4 adeveloped view of the strip from which the match case or holder is formed.

I Beferring to Figs. 1 and 2, the match case or holder herein shown comprises a back portion a, a short folded portion 1), forming a pocket for the reception of the matches, and

a longer folded portion 0, forming a cover for the matches.

In the manufacture of the case or holder shown in Fig. 1 a strip of paper or other suitable material (shown in Fig. 4) is provided on its inner side at one end, which for convenience may be termed its lower end, with an igniting-surface e, which may be of abrasive materialsuch as corundum, emery dust, sandpaper, or other suitable materialand the lower end of the said strip is slitted or cut on the lines f, so that when the lower end of the strip is folded on or about the dotted lines g the edge or end of the folded portion 6 thus formed may be adhesively or otherwise atfixed to the inner surface of the back portion a of the strip to form a pocket between the back portion a and the folded portion b,which has an entrance-opening formed by the slit f, through which the headed ends of the matches m may be inserted into and withdrawn from said pocket. The opposite end of the strip may be folded on or about the lines h to form the front flap or cover a, which is made substantially equal to the length of the back'portion a and which may be engaged by a tongue 2', formed by a substantially semicircular slit j in the lower portion Z) of the strip, so that when the cover 0 is folded and engaged with the tongue 7 as represented in Figs. 1 and 2,-the match case or holder will be closed and the matches concealed from view. The front and rear surfaces of the cover 0 and back portion aof the case may be utilized for advertising purposes. By firmly securing the folded portion b of the strip to the back portion a after the manner represented in Figs.2 and 3 a pocket is formed in which the matches are securely held against accidental withdrawal or displacement, and when it is desired to ignite a match the cover 0 is opened and a match is drawn from the pocket,the operator pressing slightly upon the folded portion Z), so as to insure contact of the head of the match with the igniting or abrading surface 6.

I may prefer to slit the lower portion b of the strip after the manner represented in Fig. 4 and to glue or paste the folded portion 1; not only at the sides, but across the width of the strip; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the end of the strip b may be slitted or cutout on the side lines f and the slit carried to the end of the strip, as represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, in which case the folded portion b will be adhesively affixed to the back a by the side extensions thus formed. The holder or case may be made from cloth, paper, or like flexible material, and while I may prefer to use the tongue '5 I do not desire to limit myself in this respect.

I may prefer to provide only one ignitingsurface e, which may be secured to the folded portion b or to the back portion a, or both the folded portion 1) and the back portion a may be provided with an igniting-surface. While I may prefer to use cloth, paper, or like material, I do not desire to limit myself in this respect, as a thin metal strip-such, for instance, as an aluminium strip-might be used.

I claim- 1. A match case or holder composed of a flexible strip provided with end portions of unequal length folded toward each other, the shorter folded portion being secured at its free end to the back of the strip to form a pocket provided with an opening through which the matches may be withdrawn in the direction of the length of the strip, and the longer folded portion overlapping the shorter folded portion to form a cover, and an igniting-surface affixed to one of the inner walls of said pocket.

2. Amatch case or holder comprising aback portion a, a portion 7) affixed at its opposite ends to the back portion a to form a pocket open at its upper end and closed at its bottom, an igniting-surface on one of the inner walls of said pocket, and a cover attached to the opposite end of said back portion and having its free end overlapping said pocketforming portion, substantially as described.

3. Amatch case or holder comprisingafiexible strip folded at one end and having its free end secured at its sides to the strip to form a pocket for the reception of the headed end of the matches, and folded at its opposite end to overlap the pocket-forming fold and form a cover for the case or holder, and an ignitingsurface on one of the walls of the said pocket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. STONE.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

